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G. C. ST. LOUIS.

FLYING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 22,1916. 2 SHEETS SHEET l.

.IN VEA i TOR. Loam WITNESS G. 0. ST. LOUIS.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLI 195. 1 1 95,290. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 W I TNESS IN VEN TOR.

GEORGE C. ST. LOUIS, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Application filed flctober 9, 1915.

erence being had to the accompanying draw-v ings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in air ships or flying machines, the object of the invention being to produce such a machine as will do away with thepresent day commonly used plane machines dependent upon surface area for their lifting power and substituting therefor a compact box kite structure dependent upon air compression for its lifting power.

A still further object of the invention is to produce in conjunction with the new form of air ship or flying machine, an admirable steering means and equilibrium structure.

Another and still further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpen sive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of ref erence indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my complete structure. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on a line XX of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, I first provide a, main supporting horizontal tube 1. Fastened on the forward end of said tube 1 is a vertical supporting tube 2 having at its upper end a pair of projecting pins 3 and 4 respectively.

Hinged to the pins 3 and 4 respectively, as at 3 and 45 are the front boxes 5. These boxes consist of four independent boxes arranged in pairs, one pair disposed above the other and all joined as a unit with the exception of the center division plate 6, which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

Serial No. 54,943.

plate 6 is fixed rigid with respect to the tube 1 and extends from end to end of the boxes 5 and a distance to the rear of said boxes 5 as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Each of the boxes 5 has a greater cross sectional area at its front end than at its rear end and this is formed preferably by sloping the top and outer side of each of the upper boxes at an angle of 45 and obliquely from the front to the rear of the boxes and similarly the bottom and outside of the lower boxes are likewise bent, the substantial shape being shownin Figs. 1 and 3. The said boxes 5 at the rear end are provided with a slotted guide 7 movable over the tube 1 of the guide, whereby the said boxes 5 may be raised or lowered to cause the machine to move downwardly or upwardly as may be required. This movement is superinduced by a lever structure 8 suitably operated from the operators platform 9.

A propeller 10 is mounted on the end of the tube 1 to the front of the boxes 5 and maybe driven by any suitable power (not shown).

At a spaced distance to the rear of the boxes 5 I provide another set of four boxes 13 of similar design to theboxes 5 with the exception that they are not hinged, but are fixed stationary to the tube 1. These boxes are also of greater cross sectional area at the front than at the rear, such different area being formed by the same structure described for the boxes 5. The center division wall of the boxes 13 is likewise clifferent from that shown for the boxes 5, the portion 1 1 which extends between the upper pair of boxes being hinged at the rear, as at 15, and being provided with a slotted guide 16 movable horizontally over the tube 1. By means of this structure the said member 14 can be used as a rudder, or for influencing the direction of flying in my improved machine. It is actuated by means of a steering wheel 17 mounted on the platform 9 and connected with the member 1 1 by a cable 18 in any suitable manner.

The operators platform 9, which will contain the motor and other necessary paraphernalia, is substantially below the center of gravity of the entire device thus preventing the machine from tipping over.

The machine is caused to rise from the earth by the influence of the boxes acting against the compressed air passing through the different cross sectional areas of the boxes. The air is forced through primarily by the propeller 10 and enters the greater area at the front of the boxes and is then compressed through the lever area at the rear of the boxes and the sides of such boxes acting against this pressure tends to lift the machine from the earth. Instead of one propeller 10, I could of course provide a propeller in front of each set of boxes or each box or pair of boxes. This is a matter of detail which can be arranged as is found most efficient.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of the invention as set forth herein.

\Vhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a main support and a plurality of boxes mounted on the support, which boxes have a greater cross sectional area at their front end than at their rear end, and means for driving air pressure through said boxes, as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising a support, a plurality of boxes arranged for hinged movement on the front end of said support, such boxes having a greater cross sectional area at their front end than at their rear end, another set of boxes of similar structure to the first set, fixed at the rear of said support at a spaced distance from said first boxes, and means for driving air pressure through said boxes, as described.

3. A device of the character described comprising a support, a plurality of boxes mounted on one end of said support, such boxes being of greater cross sectional area at their front than at their rear,ranother set of boxes of similar structure fixed at the rear of said support and at a spaced distance from said first boxes, the division wall between two of said last named boxes being hinged and movable to act as a rudder for the machine, as described.

4:. A device of the character described comprising a main support, a plate fixed rigidly to said support, a platform suspended from said plate to a point below the center of gravity of the device, a plurality of boxes hinged to the support, such plate forming a division wall for said boxes, means mounted on the platform and operable to move the boxes on their hinges, and

another set of boxes fixed to said supportat the rear of the first-named boxes, as de-' scribed. V

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE 0. ST. LOUIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

